The present disclosure relates to a vehicle drive device provided with a rotary electric machine that serves as a drive power source for wheels and an inverter device that controls the rotary electric machine.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0202279 discloses a transmission device (a transmission 10) suitable for hybrid vehicles (for example, FIGS. 1 and 2). This transmission device includes rotary electric machines (motor/generators 56 and 58), and an inverter (a power inverter module 30) that drives the rotary electric machines. The rotary electric machines and the inverter are accommodated in a housing space defined by a casing (12) and a lid (36) attached to the casing. Openings (a first opening 52 and a second opening 84) are formed on the lid. Connection terminals (a first junction 38 and a connection plug 88) electrically connected to the inverter extend outward from these openings. These connection terminals are connected to other devices disposed outside the transmission device, such as a power supply device and a control device, through wiring members (a first cable harness 50 and a wire harness 86). A flow path that supplies and discharges refrigerant for cooling the inverter passes through a platform (26) of the casing to enter the housing space, and is connected to the inverter inside the housing space (see, for example, FIG. 4).
In the transmission device of United States Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0202279, since the refrigerant flow path is connected to the inverter disposed in the casing through the wall of the casing, there are many locations to be sealed. This may result in a complicated structure and higher manufacturing costs.